Personal Statement:Medicine 34

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

I have recently spent time reading George Pararas-Carayannis’ summary of Alzheimer’s disease. This has raised many questions about the future of medicine, particularly the role of stem cells in the repair of damaged brain tissue. I would like to gain sufficient understanding to be able to appreciate these debates and perhaps be able to engage in research, and this is one of the reasons I am applying for medicine. My great desire is to be able to treat people who are suffering and to witness their recovery through my actions. The scope of the job seems to be almost limitless; a modern hospital is constantly changing and I believe that I have the mental flexibility to cope with the stresses which arise.

“The Private Life of the Brain” by Susan Greenfield, a fascinating book in which she questions whether the mind and emotions are more than just electrical stimulations in different brain regions. This topic has interested me from an early age when I started realising that everyone has different experiences and that the experiences they had, shaped their characters. An acute understanding of the brain and its functions motivates me to do medicine and understand more deeply how the mind functions through the composition of the brain.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

I completed A-level mathematics in the lower sixth year, which required discipline and good organisation. I have found chemistry at AS intriguing as it forms the basis of biochemistry and an understanding of aspects of genetics. Experiments such as titrations require good hand eye coordination; these skills are essential for any doctor (should replace with? given me great manual dexterity). I understand that a doctor is involved in unfamiliar circumstances where patients do not have text book symptoms. Physics has taught me to apply a logical or systematic approach to complex sets of data; I recently had to do multi-step calculations to work out the angle of diffraction. In biology we are studying detailed descriptions of human anatomy; I have observed dissections on video and had to relate these to diagrams from a book. This enhanced my ability to visually imagine 2D structures in 3D. During Biology I have performed graphical analysis of data collected from denatured beetroot and used the results to form a conclusion.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

In my most recent summer holiday I took part in an Academic Enrichment Programme at The University of ********. I was involved in Genetics and Biotechnology; where in teams we had to research and take notes during lectures for a presentation on genetics. During these five days, teamwork was crucial as the PowerPoint slides had to be presented in front of a crowd over a hundred students.

In college I was a member of the Rolls Royce science award team. This extra curriculum activity required me to write an article. I chose to do this project on eczema, a disease I did not know much about but having an open mind I did thorough research which involved me interviewing an expert on the field of eczema.

At the *******Royal Infirmary I worked as a porter. This was the first experience I had working as a team in a hospital. Delivering post to wards, blood samples, and organs to labs made me realise how important it is for different departments to work together for a properly functioning hospital. To further explore my interest I visited *****hospital where I was told many details on how radiology is used on cancer patients. One of the treatments was using radioactive iodine in small capsules which then was injected in the cancerous tissue with steel tubing. I felt empathy towards the patients that received these treatments but do understand from a scientific perspective, that they are necessary.

Only having been in the UK for 5 years presented me with many challenges, especially the language. Within a year I was fluent in English alongside Dutch, Urdu and Punjabi.

As a doctor of the future I have the drive to succeed, the passion to put myself forward for all the challenges and have the modesty to realise when I make mistakes and move on. I have been a motivated and determined individual throughout my life and I believe this will equip me for a career in medicine.

How personal statements have changed?

The current personal statement format, with three 'scaffolding' questions, was introduced by Ucas in September 2025. This personal statement was submitted before then, using the old essay-style format. It has been carefully edited into the three-question format, with all of the original wording kept.

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